Game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A game apparatus is provided which comprises a foam backed, vinyl sheet clad game board having the drawing of a hand thereon having various ones of the fingers bandaged. A first elongated member which simulates a thumb and a plurality of elongated members which simulate a hammer are provided for playing a game with a plurality of chips. The chips are placed on the bandaged fingers with the object of the game being for the player holding the thumb simulated member to slide a chip from a bandaged finger to the wrist of the hand on the game board before one of the players with a hammer simulating member can knock the chip away from underneath the thumb.

United States Patent [191 Strader et al.

[ 51 Jan.2,1973

[54] GAME APPARATUS [73] Assignee: Mattel, Inc.,Hawthorne, Calif.

[22] Filed: March 12, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 18,986

OTHER PUBLICATIONS Sears Christmas Catalog, 1967, p. 469, 88-Game Chest.

Primary ExaminerAnton 0. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro Attorney-Seymour A. Scholnick [5 7 ABSTRACT A game apparatus is provided which comprises a foam backed, vinyl sheet clad game board having the drawing of a hand thereon having various ones of the tingers bandaged. A first elongated member which simulates a thumb and a plurality of elongated members which simulate a hammer are provided for playing a game with a plurality of chips. The chips are placed on the bandaged fingers with the object of the game being for the player holding the thumb simulated member to slide a chip from a bandaged finger to the wrist of the hand on the game board before one of the players with a hammer simulating member can knock the chip away from underneath the thumb.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTED M 2mm I 3,708,168

INVENTORS I GEORGE c. smnnzk ADOLPH E. GOLDFAEB ATTORNEY GAME APPARATUS This invention relates generally to a game apparatus or the like and more particularly to a game apparatus which provides a game of skill for two, three or four players.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved game board which utilizes the figure of a hand having specific areas for the placement of a chip and a predetermined finishing area which is used as the terminal area for the movement of the chips.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved game apparatus which is easily played by two, three or four players and which provides an element of skill as between the players during the playing thereof.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved by providing a game apparatus comprising a plurality of game pieces, a support member and a plurality of resilient elongated members. The support member includes a plurality of defined areas for the placement of the game pieces and a defined finishing area. The game pieces comprise flat circular chips or discs. A first of said resilient elongatedhollow members has an opening at one end which is adapted for the insertion of a first players finger and is in the form of and simulates a human thumb. The remaining resilient members have a handle for being held by other players and which are each in the form of and simulate a hammer. The object of the game is for the player with the thumb member to remove one of the chips with the use of the thumb member to the finishing area before the chip is knocked away by a player with a hammer member.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game apparatus embodying the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1.

Referring now in greaterdetail to the various figures of the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, a game apparatus embodying the invention is shown at in FIG. 1.

Game apparatus 20 basically comprises a support member 22, an elongated resilient hollow member 24 which simulates the thumb of a human being and a hollow resilient member 26 which simulates a hammer. A single elongated member 24 in the shape of a thumb is provided, and three of the elongated members 26 which are in the form of a hammer are also provided.

The game board 22 basically comprises a rectangular sheet of smooth surfaced flexible material 28 which is preferably comprised of plasticized vinyl which has a backing 30 of a soft compressible flexible material,

such as polyurethane foam. The backing is utilized to protect the surface on which the game board 22 is disposed during the playing of the game.

The thumb member 24 is best seen in FIG. 2 and includes an opening at one end thereof in which a finger 26 of a player may be inserted. A player may also hold the member 24 about the end 37 thereof.

The thumb member 24 is also h'ollow and is prefer%bly com rised of an elastomeric material, s ch as rub er. The ammer 26 IS similar y comprised 0 an elastomeric material such as rubber and is also hollow and includes a handle 38 which is used by the other players for gripping thereof.

The support member 22 includes, on the sheet 28 thereof, the illustration of a hand 40 which includes bandaged fingers 42, 44 and 46.. Each of the fingers having a bandage thereon is used as a starting point for a playing piece 48 which preferably comprises a fiat, circular, planar chip or disc. The hand 40 also includes a wrist portion 50 which defines a finishing area to which a chip 48 must be moved by a player holding the thumb 24.

The game is played in the following manner: A first player sticks one of his fingers in the opening provided at the end of the thumb member 24 (or he can hold end 34 of the thumb member in his hand). Each of the other players, whether there be one, two or three, holds one of the hammer members 26.

Then each player with a hammer member 26 puts one of his chips 48 on one of the bandages provided on the fingers 42, 44 or 46 of the hand 40. The player holding the thumb member 24'then tries to slide one of the chips from any of the bandaged fingers to the sleeve 50 which is defined as the finishing or terminalarea. As soon as the thumb member 24 is placed on top of one of the chips, the player whose chip is being moved can hang and hit the thumb member 24 with the hammer member 26 to prevent the player with the thumb member from sliding the disc to the sleeve 50.

If the person holding the thumb is able to slide the chip, by holding it under the fingernail portion of the thumb, from the bandaged finger to the finishing area 50, then he is allowed to keep the chip. If, however, the person whose chip is being slid is capable of jarring the thumb member 24 away from the chip, then the player with the thumb member must give the player with the hammer member one of his chips. The game is over as soon as one of the players loses. all of his chips. The winner at that time is the player with the most chips.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully illustrate my invention that others may, by applying current or future knowledge,readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. Game apparatus comprising a game board having an upper surface defined by flexible material and a backing of compressable foam material, said upper surface having a plurality of starting areas and a finishing area delineated thereon; a plurality of game pieces in the form of flat discs slidable over said upper surface; a first resilient member having a socket for receiving a players finger and a surface portion frictionally engageable with a said game piece for sliding the same on said upper surface; and a second resilient member of elastomeric material having a handle portion and a head portion at one end thereof, said second member being sufficiently stiff to be self sustaining but resiliently deformable upon impact, the object of said game beingthe sliding of one of said discs by a first player with said first member on one of his fingers, from one of said starting areas to said finishing area while another player tries to knock said disc away from said first member by striking with said second member. 

1. Game apparatus comprising a game board having an upper surface defined by flexible material and a backing of compressable foam material, said upper surface having a plurality of starting areas and a finishing area delineated thereon; a plurality of game pieces in the form of flat discs slidable over said upper surface; a first resilient member having a socket for receiving a player''s finger and a surface portion frictionally engageable with a said game piece for sliding the same on said upper surface; and a second resilient member of elastomeric material having a handle portion and a head portion at one end thereof, said second member being sufficiently stiff to be self sustaining but resiliently deformable upon impact, the object of said game being the sliding of one of said discs by a first player with said first member on one of his fingers, from one of said starting areas to said finishing area while another player tries to knock said disc away from said first member by striking wIth said second member. 